


Faux

by FlashDriver



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Oblivious, Silvaze Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:16:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26343994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlashDriver/pseuds/FlashDriver
Summary: In an attempt to evade potential suitors, Blaze comes up with a plan. What if a certain psychic was to act as her boyfriend, thus dissuading any competition? Perhaps that would buy her enough time to discover who she truly loves.Written for Silvaze/Sonamy Week 2020, utilising the prompts of Oblivious and Seasons!
Relationships: Blaze the Cat/Silver the Hedgehog
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	1. The Plan

“I still don’t think I get it, Blaze. If nothing’s changing, what’re you asking me to actually do?” Silver the hedgehog said, sat at the foot royal bed. A book was sprawled open in his lap, but his attention was fully focused on the princess.

Blaze the cat was supposed to be working at her desk. The sun was well on its way to setting yet papers were still stacked high before her; agreements to endorse and budgets to look over and constructions to sign off on, it was nothing too out of the ordinary. Rather than tending to those though, she’d turned her chair to discuss a more personal matter and project with her closest companion. She’d thought it would be easy to explain but, in hindsight, the plan she’d propose was nothing like their usual fair. It didn’t help matters that neither of them had any experience in this department. Well, as far as she knew, he didn’t.

“I’m proposing that you say and pretend that you’re my boyfriend, Silver. That’s really all there is to it,” She instructed, using as simple and plain terms as possible, “I’ll do the same for you and we’ll go on a date tomorrow,” She caught the flexing of his brow and elaborated further, “A fake date, of course, just something small, we could visit the beach for a picnic lunch? 

“Right,” He nodded but confusion still twisted his face, “But I’ve never actually been a boyfriend before, how will I know what to do?” It didn’t surprise Blaze that he was willing to go along with this, but it did surprise her that, of all the first questions, he’d landed on that. Not why they were going through this in the first place, just what he was supposed to do; it was very like him, but it still managed to catch her off-guard.

“I’ve not been a girlfriend, we’re both going into this blind and I think that’s what’ll make the ruse more believable,” She answered, “Honestly, I don’t think you’ll have to do anything different. If anything, I’ll have to be a little more forward.”

“More forward?” His head gently tilted, and his eyes squinted; her phrasing was throwing him off. Perhaps she wasn’t being clear with him.

“We’re both new to this but I think it’s clear that I understand this potential task better than you. While I have not been in a relationship, those around me have,” Blaze elaborated, “That means I’ll have to take the lead, initiate bolder actions that’ll suggest to the public that we’re an actual couple; that we’re not just partners.”

Then again, that’d hardly be difficult. Silver was perfect for this plan because, frankly, that nature of their partnership was nebulous. They’d been mistaken for a couple more times than she could count. When Silver had first arrived in the Sol Dimension and her public had observed a total stranger hugging, laughing with and being doted on by the princess, rumours and gossip had quickly sailed to inform all corners of her kingdom. She’d never acknowledged that hearsay, denying a rumour only spread it further, but now she was going to use it to her advantage; she was going to turn that gossip on its head.

His ears were still slightly folded and, though it had faded, befuddlement lingered in his eyes and on his brow. The why was almost as important as the action itself, his curious nature would surely gnaw away at him and she wasn’t opposed to explaining. It was just a wordy and rather sad story, ideally the cliff notes alone would suffice.

“I know it’s all a little strange but my birthday’s only a couple of months away and I’m starting to worry,” Blaze began to explain, “When my mother turned eighteen, she started to get letters from suitors. People she’d never met wrote to her and asked for her hand in marriage. They were rich and powerful people, important to her kingdom but, equally, they were people she hardly even knew let alone loved,” The cogs in Silver’s head were turning, his fist tightened at what he surely thought and injustice, but Blaze thought it best to tell a more complete tale, “She was afraid to turn any of them down for fear of worsening her professional relationships but, atop that issue, she had already fallen in love with my father; she had a secret boyfriend. When that information became public those letters stopped arriving, but a few families felt as though they’d been led on and public relations worsened. Many of them refused to speak with her for several years, some won’t even speak to me.”

“What? People cut her off because she didn’t marry them, even though they didn’t even know her? Of course she didn’t want to marry them, why would she want to marry someone she doesn’t know?” Silver was aghast, she couldn’t help but smile at his innocence and the sense of justice behind it, “That’s awful! Did they just want to be in charge?”

“Yes,” Blaze affirmed, “They didn’t love her; they just wanted the royal name, be it to further their brands or grow their pride. A lot of parents wrote in on behalf of their children, many either much too old or much too young, offering them up to further the family’s social status.”

“So, you want to avoid all that by making them think you already have a boyfriend? That way, they won’t send any letters in the first place and won’t have anything to be angry about?” The hedgehog surmised. His stare was still galvanised by the tale of her mother.

“If you wouldn’t mind being that person Silver, yes,” Having made that request twice now, feeling a pang of guilt, Blaze hesitated, “I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do this, but I know it’s a lot to ask. It’ll take up time and, obviously, stop you having this kind of relationship with anyone else. If you’re uncomfortable then we don’t have to, I don’t want to impose-

“If it’ll make you feel more comfortable, I’m willing to do anything, Blaze. I’ve never dated anyone before, but I’ll do my best to do it right,” Before she could finish, he’d bounded from his seated position and let his book tumble to the floor. He’d flown forward and taken her by the shoulders. When the hedgehog agreed to something, no matter how small, he made it his duty to see it through. She should have known that he’d want to see this through, “Starting tomorrow we’ll tell people that we’re dating. It can’t be that hard!”

The hedgehog had never quite understood personal space, his forehead was practically against hers and it’d only take a small push for their noses to collide. Blaze rolled her eyes, reaching up and returning his hold, “Thank you, Silver. Really, you have no idea how much more comfortable this will make me. I’ve been worrying about it for months now, weighing my options.”

“I just hope I can play the part well enough to convince everyone,” He awkwardly smiled, failing to mask his concern, “I’ve never had to act before, let alone trick people.”

“I doubt you’ll even have to act, just be yourself, you’re a very…” She searched for the perfect word, “Passionate person. When your mind is set on doing something, you invest in it so deeply; I’m sure that’ll come through and it’ll be more than enough,” Concern faded from his eyes, just a little, “But, like I said, I’ll take the lead. If I don’t think we’re being convincing enough, I’ll make a move.”

“Do you want me to do anything to help prepare? What about tomorrow’s date?” He asked, already trying to help even more, “I’ve got stuff back at the hut, I could easily put together a picnic if we do want to do a beach date?”

“I think that would be perfect, Silver,” She admitted, having intended to imply that was what she wanted later. Though he claimed to love her cooking, she had a far more rational palette, “This should be the last weekend before the weather turns, it’s already getting too cold for beach going. The crowds shouldn’t be huge but hopefully we’ll be visible enough that the word will spread itself.”

“We can go around the rock pools, walk along the beach and look for shells,” A new idea popped into his mind, his eyes lit up, “O-Or we could just relax if you prefer? Take a few books to read, maybe even get ice cream and…” Silver seemed to catch himself, his eyes began to lower, “I’m sorry, I’m trying to plan all this out. I want to help you Blaze; you should be free to choose who you want to love; you shouldn’t have to do this in the first place.”

He wanted to make things right, of course he did. The princess found herself shifting just a little closer as her grasp on him grew just a little tighter. Silver’s strong sense of justice didn’t have as many opportunities to shine through in this dimension, the world’s state of relative peace contributed to that, but it was a part of him she adored seeing. He was willing to put himself through so much and try so hard, she didn’t think he was romantically interested in anyone but even still; he was willing to put future romances on hold just so she could be comfortable.

“It’ll be easy, Silver. Don’t think of this like a date, think of it as one of our usual outings; like stargazing or visiting the crystal caves, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We’ll do whatever comes naturally. All you need to do is stay by my side and be how you always are, all that’s changing is how we refer to each other,” Despite her reinforcement, his gaze drifted further from hers. She reached across and pushed his chin, turning him to face her. The worry seemed to vanish from his bright yellow eyes, “Just act natural, it’ll be fine. I’ll do the heavy lifting; it was my idea after all.”

“I’ll do my best,” As he promised, their heads came to touch. The contact seemed to invigorate him, “I’ll be the best boyfriend I can be! You don’t have to carry all the weight; I’ll handle it!”

Her smile only grew as she pushed against his contact, “You’re so naïve…”

\----

Whittling the evening away, talking and toying with Silver, proved to be foolish. By the time he’d left, midnight was mere minutes away and a good two hours’ work still lay upon her desk. Coffee had helped her through it all but, unfortunately, it’d also scared away sleep for an additional hour at least. By the time she’d finally drifted off, it couldn’t have been far from four.

The princess awoke just after nine, her head made heavy and ears brought to curl by the incessant blaring of her alarm clock. Groggily rising, stretching cricks from her body, Blaze managed to stumble the path from her bed into her en suite. Warm water and morning rituals washed away much of her morning daze, though a small pain continued gnawing just behind her forehead. She supposed it was her own fault for leaving so much undone, but it surely wouldn’t make today any easier.

This proved to be true as the princess entered her walk-in wardrobe only to find herself befuddled. She’d already chosen an outfit for today, the same outfit she usually wore (her long sleeved tabard and tights, her standard guardian-wear), but, for whatever reason, it wasn’t appealing to her. Something about it didn’t seem right for today, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

Though she didn’t fight her gut intuition, Blaze told herself that it was the fault of nerves and a want to be more convincing more than anything. After all, the public had seen her dressed like that and with him a good few dozen times. Rather than take the garb at the front of her closet, she pressed herself to take a few steps deeper inside. Her stomach fizzed at the sight of jeans, dresses and other casual wear. She’d never intended to wear most of these articles, but they’d gathered here regardless of her want. 

Most of her alternate outfits were gifts sent from fashion designers and clothing chains, dropped on her in the foolish hope that the princess would act as their living advertisement. She’d learned as a youth that it was wiser to wait a year and donate them rather than simply send them back, it was just another way she managed to avoid sour responses. Still, as she found herself near the back of her closet, none of those gifted items called out to her. One ensemble was singing to her, both loudly and clearly, but it had a far more embarrassing origin. 

When Amy Rose set her mind to something, it was difficult to stop her. During one of her brief excursions to the other world, the young hedgehog had dragged the older feline away to pick out some summer clothes. Blaze had successfully rejected most of Amy’s recommendations but one of them had managed to pierce her armour, early into the outing Blaze had been caught off guard by a certain garb and the hedgehog had built upon it. 

She pulled the hanger free and its scary splendour was fully revealed to her. It was an amber sundress, the fabric littered with inconsistent clusters of white lilies. Once Amy had pushed her into a changing room, the pink blur had rushed off to gather some matching accessories. An amber scrunchie to replace her usual red ring, a set of saltwater sandals and a pair of white rimmed sunglasses had been shoved beneath the changing room curtain before Blaze was even half changed. 

This outfit would play into their charade incredibly well, Blaze knew how much a change in garb could do, but her stomach was doing backflips. She knew she was overreacting, when she’d tried it on for the first time she hadn’t felt like this, but that knowledge did nothing to curtain her errant emotions. It was only after she donned the full outfit the Blaze realised why she felt quite so tense. Utilising the full-length mirror attached to the closet’s outer door, Blaze found that her reflection’s cheeks had turned scarlet. The dress was pretty, undeniably pretty, and the lower five sixths of it were fine… but…

The dress hung from her shoulder on two, rather thin, fabric straps. The white fur of her underbelly wasn’t quite visible but, this dress exposed her shoulders, her arms and almost the entirety of her collar. Everything else about it was perfect but those straps were just too thin for her liking and the neckline was just a little too deep. Perhaps it was made for someone with a different body shape?

Why was she wasting so much time on this? For whatever reason she wanted to wear this dress but, simultaneously, couldn’t overcome its collar. Blaze knew that if she’d just force herself to wear her usual attire this’d be over with already but something about this just felt… right for today. She was worried about fully convincing her public, perhaps this change really was needed.

Eventually, she managed to come to a compromise. She decided to wear the amber sundress, and all the additions Amy had piled upon her, but don her swimsuit beneath. It was a plain, dark purple, one-piece leotard intended for sport rather than casual use. Fortunately, the dress was baggy enough to hide the under-outfit but its straps were too thick to be covered by those of the dress. Well, it didn’t alter the outfit and it did immediately make her feel a lot more comfortable. It wasn’t uncommon for people to wear swimsuits under their beachgoing clothes, was it? Settled, she managed to finally leave her room and, having snatched a banana for breakfast on the go, made her way out the front doors of the palace. 

Immediately, the arrival of sunlight forced her to don her sunglasses. They were supposed to be in autumn but, even despite her pyrokinetic nature, Blaze could feel the heat. It wasn’t even muggy; the day was dry, and the sky was totally clear, it was as though a summer day had been transplanted later into the year. That would complicate things a little, she assumed. It was better this than it being rainy, but the beach would probably be a little better stocked than she’d assumed last night. This was a Saturday too…

Regardless, it’d take more than a new garb and a little sun to stop her. Silver was waiting, everything was prepared, their late-night planning couldn’t go to waste!

\----

The uproar on the beach wasn’t just a little louder than she’d anticipated, it was much louder. She’d arrived outside Marine’s driftwood-hut, a good hundred or so metres from the sands, but the princess could hear the sounds of families shouting and playing… so many families. She’d hesitated at the doorstep, that noise and all it implied had managed to paralyse the powerful pyrokinetic. A few eyes she could handle, she’d given hundreds of speeches, but this was different. Blaze told herself that she could endure the stares, but would he be okay with this? 

She hadn’t known the hedgehog to get stage fright, but this was new ground for both of them. If she didn’t know how she’d handle this, what chance did she have of guessing how he would? Well, then again, she’d watched him more than she’d watched herself. They probably had a better idea of how the other would react than themselves. Hopefully, ideally, he’d be too focused on their task to notice anyone else.

Mustering all of her courage, the princess brought her knuckle to rap against the door. Her thoughts on the hedgehog’s state were split into two distinct pieces. The first was that he’d try his best to lie and put on a front, following her lead, but, ultimately, his inability to lie convincingly would make today more than a little silly. Perhaps that was for the better, maybe that’d make her feel more relaxed.

Alternatively, it was entirely possible that his obliviousness in regard to romance would make this incredibly easy. He’d play along blissfully unaware of what he was actually doing, entirely comfortable in his position. Try as she might; Blaze struggled to picture Silver being romantic, let alone in a relationship. He’d been through so much, both with her and without her, that ideas of who he’d want to be with, let alone what he’d want to do with another person, assumedly hadn’t arrived in his mind. He almost seemed too selfless for love, too focused on other things.

Blaze supposed she hadn’t really pondered it until recently, whether he actually had an interest in romance. Just before she’d proposed this plan, she’d considered it and come to a similar conclusion but now, for whatever reason, that questioning refused to abate. Was he actually interested in romance? Who would he even be interested in? Were it not for her discordant mind, she’d be far more comfortable making assumptions about his position. Something about this morning was simply off, working too late must have been taking its toll.

The feline, so lost in a world of her own, almost fell backwards as the door flew open. Marine the Raccoon, garbed in her usual green dress and wearing a ludicrously knowing grin, had reared her head in Silver’s place. It was as though she’d been up and waiting for this moment for hours. 

“Picked out some nifty duds, didn’t ya? Strewth, I don’t think I’ve ever even seen them. You’re lookin’ for your fella, aren’t ya?” Her smirk seemed to grow evermore with every passing second. Before Blaze could even offer up an answer, the raccoon had turned her back, “Silver! Your Sheila’s here! How could you just leave her out on the doorstep, some boyfriend you are, are you even up? Oi, mate? Mate…?” She toddled back inside, leaving Blaze’s eyes to roll in the sailor’s wake. 

Marine had been more than a little insistent that the pair were together long before this plan had been hatched. She’d undoubtedly been overjoyed to hear the false news from Silver, she’d probably been the first person it’d spread to. When the truth eventually came out, she’d probably be a little disappointed but, surely, she’d be old enough by then to understand the princess’ position.

That was a thought, how long were they going to keep this up? Months perhaps, but years? She supposed they’d have to, the moment they admitted to the contrary she’d likely be bombarded with letters and gifts. Well, they didn’t have to, but she couldn’t see herself finding a reason to stop. No one really appealed to her but if Silver ever wanted out, she’d let him out. If he met someone or-

“Oh, Blaze! You’re here!” Just as her mind had refocused on Silver, she heard the hedgehog approaching from behind. She turned to look over her shoulder and his smile almost knocked Blaze from her feet, “Sorry I’m late, I had something to pick up in town. I hope you didn’t have to wait too long?”

Something about him was different today… well, many things looked different. Like her, the hedgehog was wearing casual attire, but it was an outfit she recognised all too well. She’d bought it for one of his birthdays, when she’d noticed him outgrowing much of the wardrobe he’d been gifted upon his arrival to this dimension. It was a basic but well-fitting garb she’d picked out because she’d thought it’d suit him and, well, today it especially seemed to. He was wearing a button up, short-sleeved, teal and navy shirt with a set of long navy shorts. In place of his typical boots, Silver had donned a thicker set of walking sandals, almost intended for hiking. Naturally, his cuffs and anklets had to remain so she’d chosen colours that wouldn’t clash with his aura or gold.

The psychic had worn the outfit quite a few times, though only on occasions he seemed to consider important. For as plain as they were, the hedgehog was very much making them work. They let him look relaxed, as she always liked him to be now that he was safely away from the future, without looking untidy. She hadn’t noticed that the outfit rather… accentuated a distracting feature of his. His quills were pulled back into a messy ponytail, an attempt to avoid battle with the sea breeze, but the edge of his chest fluff had managed to breach his shirt. Hiding some of his fluffiness only drew her eyes to what little remained. She blamed her choice in neckline for that latter issue.

There was something else though, something deeper than fabric that was drawing her attention; causing some strange quaking in her gut. She told herself that it was just grogginess, that she was just being silly, but even as her eyes broke from his form, the hedgehog’s visage lingered in her mind. Blaze supposed she just hadn’t seen him dressed in them for a while, the hedgehog liked to wear clothes but his outfits were usually more ragtag; tempest tossed quills, a hoodie pulled over his bare shoulders, dirty boots and crumpled trousers. He’d made an effort for her and… well…

It’d paid off. Try as Blaze might; she couldn’t deny it, he wasn’t exactly unpleasant to look at. But then, why were her eyes locked onto the ground?

“He was up half the night putting everything together; the clothes, the food…” Marine listed from the corner of the feline’s eye, “I’m glad you both finally came to your senses, I always knew he’d make the perfect boyfriend for you.”

For whatever reason, those words had stoked something within Blaze. The wriggling within her stomach longed to go on the offensive and chastise Marine but, being such a foolish feeling, the princess knew it would do neither her nor them any good. Instead, she simply brought her toes to curl and fists to ball. When the hedgehog arrived at the doorstep, the scent of sweet goods hit her nose and further drew her attention.

“Marine, could you get everything I made last night? There should be a little basket on the kitchen counter,” Rather immediately, the little sailor scampered off to do what he asked, “So, are we still doing this?

“Y-Yes,” Her response was quick, but that stutter wasn’t a result of speed. She swallowed, “As long as you’re still okay going through with this, I’m okay.”

“I feel the same. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. This is still a little strange to me but then it must be for you too. We can do this, I’m sure of it,” He hesitated for a moment, blinking at her slightly, “I don’t think I’ve seen this outfit before. You look really pretty!”

Her face went from red to boiling, he clearly had no idea what he was doing to her. Well, to be frank, she had no idea what he was doing to her either. She scrambled for a reply, “Y-You look nice too,” Was that arrogant to say? She had bought him that outfit after all. 

As she looked up to him- no, as she realised that their difference in height forced her to look up to him, the wriggling and jostling in her stomach exploded into two dozen angry butterflies. Something about him today, the way his eyes met hers and his shoulders seemed broader, was holding her full attention. It was as though she hadn’t seen him in a while, no… it was more like she hadn’t looked at him in a while. He was surely still the naïve hedgehog she knew, but Silver had grown. He looked far more mature than Blaze recalled even last night. What had changed beyond her clothes? She supposed they had fake titles for each other now? But why would that-

“Blaze?” A shock ran from the top of her shoulders to the tip of her tail, bringing it to dance and curl around her waist, “Are you alright? You were staring…” He reached up, rubbing at his muzzle, “Do I have something on my face?”

“N-No Silver,” The princess practically choked on her stutter, she tore her gaze from him again, “I just didn’t get much sleep last night, I was too busy… planning all this. It was a lot of work.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” He cringed slightly, “I would have stayed and helped if you’d said.”

“I-It’s fine, don’t worry about it. What’s done is done,” She was usually better at lying but, for whatever reason, today was proving to be an exception to all of her norms.

He didn’t look entirely convinced but Marine had returned, he gently stuffed his current bag into the she’d retrieved basket, “What’s the plan then? Are we still heading for the beach?”

“It does seem a little busy,” Blaze mused, trying to resign his worry to the business of the beach, “Perhaps we could keep to the cliff face, the near edge. That way we won’t be getting in anyone’s way and their attention should be towards the water.”

“That seems like a great idea, that way we’ll be seen but not too seen,” He enthusiastically nodded, “The cliff should keep our picnic in the shade too, it’ll be perfect!”

The excitement in his voice sent a wave of heat up her face to tip her ears, as her temperature rose the hedgehog’s gaze overwhelmed her; Blaze’s stare fell to the ground. Only three words managed to slip beyond her lips, “Y-You’re so naïve.”

With an awkward wave goodbye to Marine the two finally set off towards the beach, walking together as faux boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time.

\----

The beach was just as busy as it had sounded; children were running wild, frolicking in and out of the water with reckless abandon. Beach towel after beach towel littered the sand, slovenly forms comfortably spread across each and every one of them. They’d stuck to their plan, keeping to the far side of the beach and walking alongside the great cliff edge that shaded it; passing into and out of its shadow based upon the warping of bluffs.

Talk had been, admittedly, sparser than usual. He had made attempts to start conversations, but her mouth had been rather useless today. Speaking seemed to further the heat on her face and strip her tongue of its rationality, resulting in stuttering. Thus, she’d kept replies brief; a handful of words at best, awkward nods and headshakes at worst. If she was walking with anyone else, they’d surely think she was being rude. At least with Silver, he’d been around long enough that walking quietly was normalised. Still, given the nature of this current outing, she couldn’t help but assume he was either worried or confused.

Blaze was a good half pace behind him, rending her stare from the sand to throw him a look every so often. Since their arrival on the beach, she’d kept her sunglasses firmly covering her eyes; both to partially obscure where she was looking and hide some of her panic. Unfortunately, they weren’t doing much to prevent her embarrassment.

Their difference in height was really throwing her off, the feline felt like she should have been walking on her tiptoes to better match him. Had it really been so long since she’d worn flats? Had the difference between their heights grown so great without her even noticing? The Silver she saw in her mind’s eye was sweet and insecure, she could hardly even identify him as anything beyond his name; he was simply Silver, her partner, a person she could trust above all others. Looking at him now it was… it was as though she was actually seeing him as a man and that was, somehow, far more embarrassing than being dressed as she was. She’d probably find it easier to publicly admit that they were together than spend five minutes eye to eye with him, something had changed; he wasn’t the same cute, naïve, hedgehog she’d once known.

Well, he was still naïve, and he was undeniably cute; just not in the way she recalled it, not in a way she could bring herself to describe internally let alone audibly. How had he gone from the amorphous, fluffy, form she pictured in her mind’s eye, to this in only one night? What had changed? It couldn’t just be his clothes. It was so fascinating and yet so hard to dwell upon.

As he turned to look at her, Blaze’s gaze darted towards the waters and stumbled between the people watching them. There weren’t too many gazes on them, at least not consistently. A few people were whispering, and an elderly pair were throwing some kind of stare their way but most of the public seemed squarely focused on their time at the beach.

“Blaze?” His words drew her stare back to him, there was concern in his eyes.

She couldn’t muster a word in response, only an acknowledging hum. Her tongue was weighed, if she spoke then she’d surely stutter. How long would this feeling last? 

“Is everything okay? Am I doing this right?” He’d slowed and taken a step closer, her eyes dropped to meet what little chest fur was free before darting up to meet his eye again. At this distance, she had no idea if he could make out where she was looking, “You’ve been very quiet. I thought we were supposed to be making a scene, drawing attention to us being together.”

“O-Oh,“ She gulped, ballistic at herself for swallowing, “I’m not entirely certain how we’d go about that. I think we’re drawing enough stares as it is, it’s probably fine...”

“Is this making you uncomfortable? Is it too much?” He fumbled with the picnic basket, switching it into his right hand as he looked past her and to the beach, “We can swap places if you want, that way they’d be looking at me instead.”

Despite this feeling in her gut, Silver was still Silver. If he thought he could do anything to help, even the slightest thing, he’d offer it without hesitation. She didn’t have the heart to tell him he was wrong, let alone that she was being bombarded by feelings she couldn’t explain, “Thank you, Silver.”

He shifted to her outer side, acting as a barrier between her and the stares, but part of the endeavour caused her heart to skip a beat. Once he’d arrived on that side, Silver had slipped his left hand into her right. She almost stumbled and he quickly looked back at her, very clearly confused. This kind of contact was regular for them, whenever the other was troubled the other would take their hand or wrap an arm around their shoulder; last night even, he’d held her by the shoulders and she’d casually returned that grasp. They’d held hands thousands of times, more than she could ever hope to count but, today, this afternoon, there was something almost electrifying about that contact.

He was staring, waiting for some kind of response, but her tongue would surely fail her again. She had to make up for its lack of fluidity.

Bluntly, boldly, she brought her fingers to lock between his and squeezed his hand tight; forcing herself into the leading position, she spoke without turning back to him, “L-Lets find somewhere quieter to eat. I’m starving.”

Her cheeks were on fire, she locked her eyes on the path ahead but no matter how she charged or tried to distract herself; Blaze’s embarrassment refused to shift. A lack of sleep had never done anything like this to her, at least not before today. Was that all this was? Tiredness and the stupor brought on by it? It had to be, nothing else made sense.

He’d caught up, matching her quickened pace to walk beside her, “Somewhere quieter, okay, um…”

Silver cast his eyes to the beach and Blaze’s stare followed, it seemed that their shift in pace had caused them to draw more attention. Rather than one or two older couples, a larger group of multiple families seemed to have noticed them. That, or word had simply spread up the beach and the world had finally noticed them together; dressed differently and holding hands, more than likely on a date. She slowed her pace again, turning to the cliff face. She’d had an idea, born of his recommendation of picnicking in the cliff’s shade. It was a stupid thought, so very stupid, but she knew somewhere more private. People might still see them, people could still reach them, but it’d perhaps make her feel more comfortable long term… even if it was bound to make her less comfortable in the short term and draw many more eyes.

“What about up there? We’d be away from the beach itself, but it’d be a little more private. I think we’d still be seen enough,” She suggested, gesturing up the cliff face, “They’d see you carrying me up there, perhaps that’s enough of a sign that we’re...”

He came to a stop, glancing up the cliff’s edge before quickly turning to the beach behind them, “Are you sure you’d be comfortable with that?”

Blaze knew what he was implying. Not only would this draw more eyes to them initially, but it involved scaling to a height that, while not ludicrous, was a little beyond what he knew her to be comfortable with. The concern in his eyes was so genuine…

“I know you won’t drop me, Silver. I trust you,” She squeezed his hand again, “Just, please, make it quick but not too quick.”

He managed a nod, his worry quelled, and slipped his hand from hers to shift the picnic basket further up his arm. Without blinking or flinching, he turned and put his right hand to her back while crouching and lowering his left arm for her to swing her legs up and across. While she’d focused on his concern her embarrassment had faded. Now, the heat had returned.

This was how he usually lifted her, it was more comfortable to lie in his grasp than to cling to him as he flew, but, due to her addled and tired mind, she was having further thoughts. Usually she’d have stepped up without flinching, she’d allow her head to fall against his shoulder and focus solely on his face until they reached their destination. They’d make conversation, he’d distract her from the distance between them and the ground. Today however, that seemed more difficult. Her tiredness couldn’t be responsible for that. Was it because she was wearing a dress?

Briefly catching his eye again, Blaze rapidly neatened her clothes a little. As she finally brought her legs over his arm, she tried to keep herself decent. It was stupid, the skirt of her dress was long, but it didn’t do anything to dispel the heat on her face. Her head still found his shoulder and, although she’d been looking up at him all day, at least this was a more familiar view. 

“Are you ready?” He made sure, she felt his grasp tighten just above her knee and around her shoulders. Something about that contact, contact she’d experienced hundreds of times, coupled with the view energised the butterflies in her stomach.

She forced her gaze to roll from him and to the rock wall in front of them, “Yes.”

Cyan light crept into her vision and weightlessness set in. Her choice to focus on the wall didn’t serve her well. While it was better than looking down, she could tell that they were rising and with each passing second the ground drifted further away. They weren’t going slowly, but Silver was making sure to keep things stable; ergo, their pace wasn’t as fast as she knew he could fly, or he’d even normally fly with her.

As his concern for her was made manifest and the shifting rockface began to make her queasy, the princess couldn’t help but return to her normal position. Historically, her cheek would be cushioned by the edge of his chest fluff but now his shirt was in the way. Why did she miss that comfort?

Her shifting brought his attention back to her; those piercing yellow eyes were upon her again. Without so much as thinking, she stuttered out; “Sh-Shouldn’t you be watching the sky?”

He responded to her request immediately, shifting to look upwards, so he didn’t catch her grimacing at her own stupidity. Her gaze lowered slightly, and she ended up staring at what little of his fluff was visible. Despite his endeavour to look presentable, a few tufts were out of place. If she was feeling more regular, she might have seen reason to undo its tugs and neaten him. As things were though, Blaze could only stare. 

Though he stopped ascending when he reached the green grass that topped the cliff, he didn’t quite put her down. Instead, the hedgehog flew just a little more inland so that she wouldn’t have to see the worst of the height; they touched down a good twenty paces from the edge. He gently set her down, dipping her legs and allowing her to step free from his hold. The grass wasn’t exactly thin up here, they were a little off the beaten trail, but it seemed like a fine spot for a picnic. The tide was out, so they could see where the beach met the waves, and to their backs was a lush palm tree forest. They would only be visible to those close to the water’s edge and out at sea. More eyes were on them for the moment than had been before, a few kids had run up the beach to watch their flight, but she knew they would drift with time. In the long run, this was better.

“Here seems pretty perfect for a picnic,” He commented, taking in their surroundings, “This was a great idea Blaze!”

“I suppose it will do,” Blaze tried to underplay her decision, unwilling to claim praise for what was an impulse decision rather than a planned one, “Let’s just relax for a while, away from so many prying eyes, and return to our walk later.” 

The princess wasn’t sure if she was instructing him or herself.

With a nod, Silver reached into the hamper and drew out a large plaid picnic blanket. Without so much as blinking, he tossed it into the air and caught it with his psychic aura; completely flattening it and holding it in the air. He slowly lowered it with a single glowing hand, the long grass beneath the blanket was made to bend down flat, free to pop up whenever the cover was removed but smoothed for their sitting. That done, he dropped to the ground and dug through the basket. First revealed was a flask and two tin mugs, next a reasonably sized plastic container and, finally, a smaller white paper bag that was, assumedly, the reason he’d been late to meet her

Everything set out, he caught Blaze in the midst of staring. Rather quickly, the feline dropped down to sit with him; positioning herself on the other side of their bounty. The lid was popped free from the container and steam rose from its depths. Six pastry parcels, surely too much for the pair of them to eat, were revealed, perfectly browned and sealed along their top.

“They’ve got prawn and salmon in them with a cream sauce and some vegetables,” He quickly explained, offering her the box. 

She knew his taste; this was more for her than it was for him. Without so much as hesitating, she picked up one and took a bite. They’d managed to maintain their heat in the box, she’d known that by sight and touch, but the taste managed to fully draw her attention. The blending of flavours was perfect, the sauce didn’t overwhelm the fish and the fish didn’t overwhelm the sauce; the prawns were just small enough not to manifest in large chunks.

He’d been about to reach for the box himself only for a realisation to strike him, “I’m supposed to be being the best boyfriend I can, r-right, okay…” With a wave of his hand, the flask and tin cups were pulled toward him. He poured her a cup of tea, gesturing again to hover napkins, a small sugar-jar and a spoon from the basket. Once he’d presented her the mug, he unwrapped and opened the white paper bag. Inside was a small assortment of muffins and fairy cakes, “I would have baked us a cake, but we were a little too short notice. I hope that’s okay…”

She took the jar, adding two teaspoonfuls of sugar to her brew, “Silver, this is more than okay. I was expecting sandwiches or something small, not all this. How long did you stay up last night?”

Somehow, unlike the stares or most of today’s endeavour, that managed to prompt a bashful response from the hedgehog. His cheeks lit pink as he claimed a pasty of his own, “It took a couple of tries to get them perfect, but It wasn’t too long. I got up a few hours earlier rather than staying up late, I just wish I’d had a little more time.”

“Don’t be silly, I only planned the walk while you did so much; even though this was all my idea,” She passed him back the jar as he poured the flask. 

He added far more sugar to his cup, the blush had spread from his muzzle to his ears, “But this is just what we normally do. If we’re pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend, shouldn’t I be doing more?”

Having something to eat, as well as seeing his blush, seemed to reduce her own embarrassment, “This isn’t about actually embodying those roles so much as just making others think we are. You don’t have to go to extra effort like that, you do more than enough by just being you. A lot of people already debate whether we are a couple,” She managed to smile, blowing her tea to cool it, “All we need to do are the public things, the more blatant things. Go out together, hold hands and hug in public, those kinds of things. Don’t worry too much about the little details.”

“I’ll try not to, but I promised to do this right,” He affirmed as she took a sip. Despite his flush still lingering, he gave a proclamation, “I’m going to do my best, I’m going to be the best boyfriend possible!”

“Y-You’re so naïve,” She pretended to sigh and grumble, turning her attention towards the meal.

He’d probably said that both to renew his promise to her and to bolster himself for the coming task. Just as she’d begun to overcome her embarrassment, he’d managed to stoke it again. Despite that fact and despite the renewed heat on her face, Blaze flicked her sunglasses up. She couldn’t keep hiding forever and brewing thoughts were becoming too much to contain.

He wasn’t wrong to have done all this, and Blaze knew she should be showing more gratitude, but the feline’s state was making that impossible. The hedgehog had also led her to think on an interesting aspect of their plan; just what should they be doing, what would convince the public and what were they willing to do? Were there lines she wanted to draw and what lines would he like to draw? A certain concept, a thought, fluttered up to reach her brain that Blaze couldn’t help pondering. There was no easy way of broaching it though. Two questions were gnawing at the back of her head, a thought that was relevant to this concept, but she wasn’t willing to entertain. 

Was she willing to kiss him, and would he be willing to kiss her? If they did kiss among the public, that was all the proof they’d ever need.

Last night she would have said yes to that question without hesitation. If it meant completing their ruse, she’d be more than willing. But as these feelings spiralled both in her head and through her gut, Blaze couldn’t help but squirm. She threw Silver a quick glance only to find him entirely focused on his meal, being up so early and going to the bakery had perhaps caused him to miss breakfast. He was willing to go so far for her, could she plant her lips on his for her own sake? 

For a split second, her eyes drifted to her muzzle only to be torn away and thrown to the plaid blanket beneath them. She wouldn’t have been opposed to it before, so she supposed she wasn’t now, just a lot more nervous about it. If they did it, it’d only have to be a peck; nothing too scandalous, something small. Blaze had chosen him to play this role for a reason, she trusted him and was willing to do things with him that she wasn’t comfortable doing with others. She could see herself doing it, embarrassment aside, but what about him?

Silver was like her; he’d never been in a relationship before. While she’d accept him as her first kiss, would she be his? Would he want her to be his? Well, she’d brought up not knowing how to draw stares before. Perhaps she could ask through that? Now that the concept was in her head, Blaze wanted to know if there were any boundaries between them; was he saving certain things for someone else? As he reached for his next pasty, she took a deep breath and made a move.

“Well,” It was going to be roundabout, but she had to prompt this discussion somehow, “Is there anything you think would make it more obvious that we’re a couple? Something quick and easy, anything we can do to get the message across. I was up last night considering options but couldn’t come up with a concrete solution.”

“We already do most of the things couples do, right? We hug, we hold hands and we visit all kinds of places together,” He pondered aloud, tugging at what little exposed chest fur he had as he thought, “I guess there’s other stuff we can do; like writing each other love letters, wearing clothes that match or just telling others how much we’re in love. More blunt stuff,” Silver managed to answer, “I think that’s what couples do. You know, they kiss and stuff; give people some kind of undeniable sign.”

What he thought couples did; he’d phrased it so innocently but implied so much. He’d hit the nail on the head, brought up the very object of her curiosity. He’d been so casual, did that mean he was willing to do it?!

“R-Right, yes, th-they…” Her stuttering came to a head, her tongue was useless; she should have taken a moment and considered her words.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Blaze? You’ve been kind of red all day,” He, so helpfully, informed her.

“Yes, don’t worry, I’m fine,” She waved him off, almost pulling down her shades but catching herself before she could, “I’ve probably just caught a cold, they’re common at this time of year.”

That’d surely worried him, her brain was going a mile a minute. Blaze knew he’d never been in a relationship, but that didn’t mean his heart wasn’t set on someone. She didn’t know who they could be, a fact that made her want to assume that there was nobody, but a larger chunk of herself wanted to be sure. 

“Silver,” She was fighting to keep a straight face, attempting to hold back her stutter merely forced Blaze to pause and hold her breath, “Have you ever actually…” She knew it was better to be blunt, best to keep things simple, but it was the most embarrassing way to ask, “Kissed anyone before?”

“No,” His reply was immediate, he didn’t even blink! 

“Oh,” He looked confused at her response, “I-It’s just that, most people think first kisses are important. I wouldn’t want to take something like that from you. By having you pretend to be my boyfriend, I feel like I’m already asking a lot,” She was blabbering, not asking what she really wanted. Her fists clenched, “I-I wasn’t sure if you’d be okay with kissing me or…”

“Blaze,” He crawled closer, their knees almost came to touch, “You’re my partner. I agreed to do this because I want to help you, you’re not asking anything of me. I decided to do this, it’s not like you’re forcing me.”

“It’s still…” She wrestled with herself. There was only one way to reach her desired answer; to ask her desired question, “Is there anyone you’d want to be that first kiss?” 

“Well, people only kiss those they’re close to, right? Specifically, the person they’re closest to and want to stay with…” He defined, clearly deep in thought but trying to relax her at the same time, “I’m not an expert on it or anything, but that’s how it always seems in books. I don’t really know a lot about this dating stuff, just what I’ve heard from Amy really.”

The mention of Amy immediately explained a lot of things; his change in garb, the holding of her hand and this picnic. Though they’d only met a handful of times, across both this and their past life, the pink hedgehog overabundant love for Sonic made sense as an informant to Silver’s understanding. She was though, admittedly, a terrifying informant. 

Swallowing, she nodded, “Yes, that’s not how it always is but that’s how people romanticise it, Silver. If there was someone you wanted to kiss, that should be someone you care about in a way that’s different to how you care for everyone else.”

“Well, the person I’m closest to is you, Blaze. I don’t think I could ever share the kind of bond we have with anyone else,” That feeling was undeniably mutual, she knew where this was going but he wasn’t done talking. She felt the butterflies squirm in her stomach, “So, if I was going to kiss anyone, I guess I’d want to kiss you.” 

Her heart skipped beats and she couldn’t help but shift, he’d called out her blushing before but now it was surely worse. He’d used such simple and honest words, the likes of which she had no defence against. His heart was on his sleeve, she couldn’t deny its existence; there was no front, there was no lie.

“Just, promise me you’ll say if that changes,” She insisted, taking on a sterner tone in an attempt to smother her slurring, “If, for whatever reason, you either don’t feel the same about us or you meet someone or… whatever it is, just promise you’ll say.”

“I don’t think that will ever happen…” She couldn’t help but frown at that. His eyes softened, her concern had gotten through to him, “If that happens then I’ll say, but I’ll still help you in whatever other ways I can. You’re my best friend and I want you to be happy.”

“Good,” She managed to huff, “A-And thank you.”

A moment passed. While he’d smiled at her response, after another sip of tea and a few bites, confusion crossed his brow and he dared to ask, “Blaze, have you ever kissed anyone?”

“No, I haven’t really considered…” Well, she had no more than a moment ago. She’d worried about whether he’d be okay with her kissing him, albeit to further their ruse. With that exception though; “I’ve never even thought about it. I worried so much that it’d be a suitor that I never considered who I’d rather k-kiss instead.”

She longed to snuff her stutter, but an immediate shift in Silver’s demeanour caught her off guard. His brow hardened and he’d set down his food, shifting closer still to put his hand atop hers, he said, “Well, now you will be able to think about that without worrying. You’re amazing, whoever you chose will be so lucky; after all, they get to be the closest person to you.”

He was just being protective, being a good friend and bearing his sense of justice, but the combination of his honesty and physical touch sent her senses into further disarray. She couldn’t meet his eye and, for what felt like hours, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Part of her was screaming to admit, as he had, that Silver was the only person she’d truly consider kissing but another part kept promising Blaze that saying so would lead to ruination. He’d ask more questions, or he’d ask if they should kiss or something else naïve yet heartfelt. 

“I-I only asked because…” Her tail was dragging across the ground without her consent, “If this goes on for too long, people might expect us to kiss. I’m glad you’re okay with that.”

“If you’re okay with it then I’m okay with it,” He swore, squeezing her hand, “First kisses are supposed to be important but, I guess, since we’re not actually together, it wouldn’t count if we kissed? So, you don’t have to worry about that.”

The way that was worded, it was almost an invitation to kiss him whenever she felt like it. While it didn’t outright state it, it implied that they could essentially practice using each other. Somewhat stunned, Blaze could only manage a meagre, “S-Sure, I guess so.”

“If you ever think we should, just say and we can!” He promised, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

Thoughts and emotions bubbled and boiled; his hand was still in hers, had he even noticed? The butterflies had never settled in her stomach, but their vigour seemed to have been renewed. What was wrong with today, what was wrong with her today? Ever since she’d woken up, something had been off. Everything they’d done so far was regular for them, they’d regularly visit the beach and picnic, let alone hold hands and talk. 

“Oh, huh,” The engine of her heart skipped a beat, bringing her train of thought to a ludicrously quick stop. What could possibly fall from his mouth next? “We’ve got the same hair now.”

The most bizarre concoction of relief, embarrassment and anguish flared across Blaze’s face. Her muzzle was cast in scarlet, but not the burning red of before, “Yes, I suppose that’s true,” Pushing herself, to speak more quickly proved unwise. Rather than complementing the change, her blush led her to chastise him, “You should take better care of your quills. I-If you kept them like this, they wouldn’t get into such a mess.”

Despite her rudeness he continued to smile at her and enjoy the meal, “They’re getting a little too long again,” He admitted, trying to look over his shoulder at those fluffy extremities, “Maybe I should cut them more properly.”

Despite her initial outburst, this conversation was a relaxing breath of fresh air compared to their last one. Drawing her tea to her lips, she tried to talk from her heart rather than her flushed face, “I wouldn’t clip them too short, just short enough that they’re easier to manage. I could do it tomorrow if you’d like?”

“That’d be great! We can try to have a more relaxed day,” He immediately grinned, but a realisation overtook him, “Wait, would that be our second date? Or would we just be doing that as friends?” 

“It can be whatever we want it to be,” She practically blurted out before quickly realising what that implied, “I-It’ll be in private though, so we hardly have to call it a date. Perhaps, if someone asks about your quills, then we’ll say it was, but we can actually treat it like a normal day.”

“Alright, that’ll work!” He practically cheered, finally releasing her hand and drawing out another pastry from the box. 

She took that opportunity to change her grasp, holding her teacup in both hands. Despite her pyrokinesis and the mug’s heat, her hand felt substantially colder without his touch. This grogginess was playing games with her senses now, what could be next?

She managed to turn her attention towards the picnic spread, quickly reaching down and claiming another pasty. It was only as she did that, that Blaze realised why he’d brought up their matching ponytails. He’d mentioned matching clothes before, clearly implying the likes of matching shirts and wedding rings, but their current hairstyles were a way they matched. While she didn’t think it made them look more like a couple, he had planned this out even more than she thought. 

Attempting to distract herself, she began to eat the baked good and tried her hardest to focus upon its creamy flavour. Despite how delicious it was, it was not enough. Blaze found herself dwelling upon the shift in how she viewed their relationship; the change she had undergone but he hadn’t. She’d done all this to avoid marrying a suitor, but who did she want to take the place of a suitor? She’d convinced herself that this was for long term convenience, that it would give her the chance to find someone, but, the truth was, she hadn’t planned to look. She hadn’t considered where to start, let alone where to find someone she trusted as much as Silver. She couldn’t see herself being closer to anyone than she was to him; their bond had lasted beyond her death and into this next life, they’d survived the unsurvivable together. Who could even come close to filling his role?

She’d never considered her endeavours with Silver to be romantic, it was simply how they were with each other, but some combination of their lifted burdens, their actions’ current context and time had freed this realisation from her subconscious. Time was surely an important factor, in their last life things hadn’t had the opportunity to blossom this far; they hadn’t had the chance to grow both physically, as individuals, and as a pair. This time though, not only had they been in a more comfortable position for growth but they’d both learned what life was like without the other; they understood what that loss felt like. Not to mention, they were newly adults now; they’d aged further than that last life. No wonder she was embarrassed, she’d asked the only person she’d consider dating to pretend to go out with her.

She didn’t think she’d change much physically, but Silver had undeniably grown while she hadn’t been paying attention. The most obvious changes were physical, he’d grown taller and his shoulders had broadened, but there’d surely been internal shifts that Blaze couldn’t quite discern. Silver was still very naïve, his heart was attached to his sleeve and he’d shown his want for justice throughout the whole endeavour, but his living in a more peaceful world had led him to acquire hobbies and interests. She was seeing him at his best, better than he’d ever been. Many of his skills, his interests too, either matched or complemented hers. 

Having finished the pasty just as her thoughts concluded, Blaze threw him another glance. He was fairly focused on the coast, absentmindedly making headway on a third pasty. Following his gaze, she found that his eyes had landed upon a flock of migrating birds; a sign of the coming Winter. This would be their last chance to walk the beach comfortably for at least three months. She should have been making the most of this.

She reached into the bakery bag, drawing out a muffin before pushing the bag his way, “Come on, let’s hurry and head down again.” 

\----

Unfortunately, despite now understanding her state, Blaze found herself no better equipped to combat her embarrassment. Talk was less scant than it had been last time, Blaze was trying her best, but she still wasn’t comfortable with this sudden upwelling of understanding. She’d stutter and stammer, catch herself staring, tear her eyes from him and, occasionally, chastise him when her embarrassment became too much to bear. It wasn’t perfect, but at least they were talking this time. 

Still, she was managing to walk hand in hand with him. The hedgehog himself, seemingly in response to her slightly calmer demeanour, had shed most of his worry. He’d panic, just a little whenever she told him off too harshly, but he was certainly smiling more now. They were almost walking shoulder to shoulder, Silver on the water’s side, approaching the rockier far edge of the beach; where sand gave way to low crags, a prime site for rock pools. Of course, as a result of that, this part of the beach was particularly swamped. Many families with younger children were searching for the likes of hermit crabs and trying to make memories.

As they reached the shift in ground, Silver came to a halt. Before she could even fully turn to him, his hand had slipped from hers; both his left palm and right were suddenly on her shoulders. Her eyes collided with his and a pair of stern brows. The concern that she’d just thought abolished had returned in an instant, bringing her prior embarrassment with it. 

“Is this going to be okay? Are there too many people over there?” He asked, his concern and care on display, “We can turn around if you want.”

Blaze looked over her shoulder, both to better scan how many families had gathered and, more primarily, to simply hide her renewed blush. The hedgehog’s hands were in the exact same position they had been last night; she had looked him in the eyes, returned his touch and thanked him for his aid. Right now, she could only think to avoid his gaze and call him naïve. 

But she didn’t want to do that. There were families by the rockpools, yes, but before today she would’ve been entirely comfortable among her people and beside him. Her boosted bashfulness had swollen to such an extent that not only was Silver pointing it out, he was actively concerned about it. She couldn’t let this stick; she couldn’t let it drag into the future days! She’d promised to take initiative and that was exactly what she’d do.

Her hands came to latch on his biceps, her brow steeled, and lips pursed as she met his eyes once more, “W-Well, what about you, Silver?”

“Wh-What about me?” He asked, concern quickly being dashed by confusion.

“You’ve said it before, but I’ll ask again; are you okay with this?” She had to be more specific. She took a step forward; surprised, he almost stumbled back, “Are you okay with us being seen like this?”

“I am!” He swore without hesitation, “As long as you are, I am.”

“So, you do want to be here with me?” She went further, tightening her grasp and taking another step. As long as she kept moving, she could overlook the stutter in her voice and the heat on her muzzle. If she controlled the pace, if she took hold of the momentum, then she could manage all of this.

“Of course I do,” He immediately answered. His seriousness grew further but it couldn’t match hers, she’d always known this, “Even if we weren’t pretending to be together, you know I like being with you.”

He had no idea what she’d prompted from him but, essentially, she’d managed to tease free an admittance that he wanted to be here with her. That fact he’d admitted to wanting to be there, regardless of their overall scheme, went a long way to setting her at ease. Despite that though, she still had a point to get across.

“And as long as you’re okay with this, I’m okay with this. This was all my idea after all,” She forced her amber orbs to burn into his brighter set, “Don’t worry about me being uncomfortable, but I want to know if you are,” Blaze refused to let herself flinch and denied herself even the right to blink. She rose to her tiptoes and brought her head closer to his, mirroring the way he’d leaned down to her last night, “As long as you’re okay, I’m okay.”

“R-Right,” His stutter wasn’t born of embarrassment, merely a combination of surprise and confusion. He broke from her gaze and took a deep breath. His grasp had tightened when he met her eyes again, “Let’s do it then, it’ll be easy.”

“If you change your mind or worry about anything, you just have to say,” She wanted to press her forehead against his, but height wouldn’t allow it. Instead, she opted to take yet another step. With that, they escaped the shade of the cliff, “You can rely on me just as much as I do you, you know this?”

“I do, of course I do! I don’t know what I’d do without you,” He insisted, not so much embarrassed but flustered by her endeavour. Strangely, Silver somehow looked cuter still when positioned like this. Despite that, he managed to keep talking, “You look out for me and I look out for you, th-that’s what we do.” 

She let herself drop to her heels, her arms left his, “Good. Then we’ll make it through this,” He, almost lost and confused, replicated her release; allowing her to turn back towards the rockpools, “We’ll look out for each other, no matter what.” 

They resumed their approach, many eyes had turned upon them but, noticing their shift, were quickly dropping towards the pools. Blaze hadn’t had the gall to retake his hand, but she was still leading, she was succeeding!

This would be easy. If she could keep a tight grip on herself and control of the pace, then she was certain she’d make it through today’s date at least. Tomorrow would be a more private affair, prime for both self-discovery and prying further into how he felt. She wasn’t sure how long this fake dating scheme could last now, it would be immoral to steal kisses from him with her new understanding, but hopefully this state’s replacement would eventually grant her that freedom. She couldn’t help feeling embarrassed by that thought but, as long as she could subdue it, overcoming this meant future efforts would become easier. She just had to chip away at these feelings, work and practice until she could properly control th-

“Oh, I meant to ask earlier,” Her ear twitched, registering the return to his more casual tone, “Why’re you wearing a swimsuit under your dress, are we going swimming later?”

She’d entirely forgotten that was a choice she’d made; a choice that’d become especially obvious when his hands found her shoulders and she’d drawn so close. As Blaze’s cheeks reddened, and her temperature spiked, the undeniable became clear. She was far from overcoming this embarrassment. With a quick fumble, her sunglasses were made to lower again in a half-hearted attempt to hide her panic.

“It’s just, I didn’t bring my stuff with me,” He continued, seemingly oblivious, “I don’t want to ruin these-

“Sh-Shush!” She took hold of his hand again, dragging him towards the rocks with a speed unmatched by any prior, “It’s fine, don’t worry about it! Let’s just go find some crabs, o-or something.”

Finding her ideal partner, the very goal of this scheme, had taken no time at all, but being comfortable seeing him in such a light… that was going to take much longer.


	2. A Suitable Position

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Spring festival going on in the palace beneath him, Silver can't help but detect a bizarre emotion welling up within him. Is their fake dating plan working? How long will it endure?

It’d been a long and partially boring day. Silver the hedgehog, age eighteen, was sat at the foot of the royal bed. There was a book sprawled open in his lap and a cold cup of tea set on the carpet beneath him, both objects that went entirely forgotten as he found himself staring longer and more intently at the door. He shouldn’t have been so antsy, he should have been happily waiting in this overly comfortable room, but the young adult had found himself feeling something that he didn’t really know how to explain; he must have been reflecting on it for an hour now and he had seen no success whatsoever. 

Today was the day of the Sol dimension’s Spring Festival, one of the dimension’s smaller yearly events but undoubtedly an important one. Much of the day had gone off without a hitch; he’d helped Blaze up early in the morning, bringing her breakfast in bed, before she’d put on her guardian gab and made her way to the heart of Southern Island. She’d given a speech, speaking at length about regrowth and renewal, before using her powers to melt a giant ice-block that represented the winter. There’d been festivities, they’d walked around the stalls of the fair together, trying food and playing carnival games, but their fun had come to a rather sharp end at five o’clock. 

Blaze had a banquet to prepare for, a dinner she had been dreading for the past two weeks. The Spring Festival was for everyone and anyone, people would flock from all over her kingdom to experience different food and games and concerts, but that meal was only for the select few. It wasn’t a tradition in the same way as the destruction of the ice or the various flower crowns that were sold from the stalls, but it was an event that’d happened for generation upon generation. Key stakeholders from across the islands that made up her kingdom, business owners and those who’d been born into significant wealth, had all gathered in the palace’s banquet hall for a meal, presentations and a series of conversations. If it was just the dinner then Blaze could have surely handled it but she’d been grumbling and hissing about this meeting for at least a month before it’d come to fruition.

They were to talk about community investment, social plans, changes in policy and all manner of political factors, she claimed to know that many of them would attempt to buy or sway her with a severe and serious lack of tact. That much the feline could stomach, she knew where she stood on her policies and where the wanted things to end up, even if she had to pretend to listen to these investors for hours on end, she could managed it; it was a rather different docket that was causing her no end of frustration and stress. It hadn’t happened yet, she had no idea if it would even happen, but she’d heard murmurs that a few of them were going to attempt to get closer to her with the intent of courting the crown. In short, she was annoyed that she was likely going to have to deflect not one but multiple suitors in a polite and proper manner. Naturally, Silver had found himself annoyed in a not dissimilar manner. 

There had been some talk about sneaking the hedgehog into the banquet, having him put on a guard or a waiter’s uniform, Blaze had been especially intent on making it happen, but they’d hit a snag. When Gardon asked whether he’d manage to sit stand still and serve, not only without his powers but as others vied for Blaze’s attention, and whether she’d be distracted by his appearance, it’d become clear. Though they’d both tried to argue their case, they knew the old Koala had a point; what they wanted from this plan and what they’d actually get were very different indeed, there was no way they’d manage to stay by each other’s side. He’d have had to stand and watch as some wealthy person that neither of them had ever really met went on and on about wishing he knew her better and wanting to get closer to her, regardless of how clear her discomfort was. It was inevitable that annoyance would show on his face, it had throughout this entire evening and he wasn’t at the dinner. 

He really hoped that she was okay and that they weren’t harrying her as they’d anticipated. They’d tried to make it look as though they were a couple today, as they had now for months, hoping it would dissuade this kind of thing, but on a day like this where they were forcibly separated, that falsehood could only provide so much protection. They’d anticipated that these people might not care and, judging by the handful of letters Blaze had over the past week, that seemed rather likely.

Silver’s eyes briefly fell to his book, the semi-true tale of the Sol Dimension’s sky pirates was entirely failing to hold his attention. On any other day, he’d happily sit for hours and read and question what parts were embellished but a strange bubbling in his stomach was keeping him from even turning the page. It was as if a lead ball had manifested in his gut or the entire organ had hardened, he felt a form of discomfort that he couldn’t recall ever feeling prior. He couldn’t think of anything he wanted more than to storm down there and sit by her side, to distract her or even just act as a barrier between her and these bizarre suitors who she didn’t even know… but he knew that would just make problems for her.

He cast his gaze to the glass balcony door of her room, he couldn’t see the sun but the sky was a wonderfully warm shade of clementine scarred by peach clouds. The hedgehog should have risen to his feet to take in that view, the sight of the sun setting above the royal gardens was one he knew well and loved to watch, but, again, he couldn’t bring himself to. It’d been at least an hour now and he had no idea what could be happening down there now- they could hardly have started eating or be well into dinner, she could be giving a speech or being bothered by a gaggle of nitwits she’d rather not be talking to. Perhaps they’d finally decided to leave her alone but, try as he might, Silver struggled to imagine that.

There was something so strange about all of this too, something he couldn’t put his finger on. The feeling in his gut was unlike any he had felt before, it made him restless and want to act though it also made him feel as though he could do nothing. He was energised yet demoralised; longing to act yet entirely unsure how to. In all his days, both living in the Sol dimension and the destroyed futures he’d called home, Silver could only recall feeling this way a handful of times and, even then, only for a few moments at most. It only ever crept up on him when he was at his lowest, when the future was so thoroughly destroyed and devoid of evidence as to the source of tits calamity that he had no idea where to go next or what to do. He’d reflected on his friends, not so much Blaze (as he hadn’t especially known her at the time) but the likes of Amy, Sonic and Knuckles; he’d found himself questioning if they were really doing enough, knowing of their lackadaisical natures and lust for fun. When he’d looked to the world around him and the lack of messages left to aid him, he’d (for a moment) considered whether they knew or cared what this all did to him and whether they were just too focused on their happy life. Of course, very quickly, he’d realised he was being stupid- yes, they were happy and comfortable and not planning for the end times every moment, but if he was in their position then he would do exactly the same. This was like that, or at least not unlike that, and Silver couldn’t place why or what this feeling actually was.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true; he’d had a thought, but he’d vehemently denied it. The word jealousy kept creeping into his mind, no matter how he flagged it away. He wasn’t jealous, he knew he wasn’t, what was there even to be jealous of? 

She couldn’t actually be enjoying their company, could she? She wouldn’t actually find someone to love and stop their ploy to prevent others’ advancements, right? 

As Silver caught himself, he flopped backwards and onto her silky sheets. What did it matter if she did, wouldn’t that be a good thing? They were only pretending to date; they were pretending to date with the express purpose of buying her time to find someone she actually loved rather than being set upon by suitors. If she so happened to find the right person among that group, then he’d fulfilled his promise to her, then they’d succeeded and she’d get to live peacefully and happily with whoever it was she loved. That was what he wanted; of course, that was what he wanted.

So why did he feel like this? His hands found his face as he unleashed a sound halfway between a growl and a groan. The odds on that happening were ludicrously low, Blaze had spoken in length about hating this and the folks down there, but if it did happen then was supposed to be happy for her, he was supposed to support her. Why was he so nervous about supporting her on this, a front he’d already agreed to help her on? It didn’t make any sense.

His hands drifted from his face, sinking up and through his quills only to arrive at his final memento of their time spent together at the fair. He gently pulled it off his head, carefully teasing it over the fan of quills that it’d been laid around. In his hands, Silver held a large flower-crown. Blaze had not simply given him this; Blaze had made this for him.

He had been excited to get one of these before the festivities even started, he’d learned the craft over the past fortnight and used his powers to aid a handful of vendors in constructing their versions. Lilies, daisies, daffodils and more had been used in the creation of crowns in all manner of shapes and sizes. To be honest, he thought he’d got quite good at the craft- he’d made daisy chains with Cream before but nothing this intricate and certainly never anything that required a more artistic eye. The flower crown tradition was truthfully just a bit fun but there was a small thought and an inkling of meaning behind it. You were supposed to give crowns to those you admired, be it for something they’d done or simply who they were. Naturally, for both that reason and a simple want to give her a gift, Silver had made certain that the last, and hopefully the best, crown he made was for her.

After the melting event and her initial speech, the two of them had quickly slipped away from the crowds and towards the festival bazar. The pair had been pretending to date for three quarters of a year now and, although Blaze had found things difficult at first, he thought they’d settled into it. They’d gone from awkwardly stumbling their way through dates to treating them more casually, acting as they had before this plan entered motion, albeit with a couple of embellishments.

She’d quickly led him to a crossroads between the stalls where Marine had been waiting, a small wooden chest in her hand and a broad smirk on her face. The young raccoon was herself wearing a crown though, judging by its composition of seaweed and shells, it seemed likely she’d gifted it to herself. Though she had quickly skipped off after she handed over the box, the exchange wasn’t without the shipwright throwing the pair a smirk and insisting that they enjoy their date. They’d never really had the heart to tell her that they weren’t actually together.

Without a hint of trepidation, without so much as blinking or dancing around the subject, she opened the trunk and revealed its contents- a flower crown that she had constructed for him. She’d been so busy preparing speeches and presentations for the dinner that he’d assumed she might buy or make one today, but he never could have foreseen her actually taking to prepare it in advance. Immediately flustered, caught entirely off-guard, he pulled the crown he’d constructed from behind his back and presented it to her.

She’d opted to take hers first, not exchanging by hand but gently ducking such that he could crown her. Gingerly, gently, he’d slipped the ring around her ears and over her head, bringing Its rim to sit just above the stone on her forehead and a little closer to the back of her neck. When her eyes flickered open and he saw how perfectly she suited his creation, he couldn’t help but freeze in awe. She looked so pretty; she looked beautiful.

He’d tried his hardest to make her wreath something comfortable, drawing inspiration from some of the more regal designs he’d seen. Its small green leaves bent to form the rough shape of a tiara, larger at the front but lined all the way to the back of her head. Purple crocuses neatly adorned it in various, roughly symmetrical, places, to take the form of oversized jewels. In the heart of each crocus lay warm amber stamens that matched her eyes while smaller lilacs sat and mingled between the leaves, unnoticeable from a distance but clear in close proximity. He’d tried to make it simple, feeling as though she’d chastise him if he went too far, but he had ended up going just a little bit overboard. 

In place of that chastising though, once her crowning was complete, the feline almost immediately took a step forwards and reached up with his crown. It was far bulkier than hers, built to match and almost blend in with his quills. In a large blooming clump, white star magnolia, intended to go press his forehead and spread among his quills, were attached to a woody band decorated with ivy leaves. Despite its scale, the ornament was light and fit perfectly but Silver’s attention was quickly pulled from it. After slipping her creation onto his head, his pyrokinetic partner allowed her hand to slip through his quills and down to cup his muzzle. 

With no more than the shortest shift to her tiptoes and a murmur of the words “Thank you” she’d pecked his lips before lowering herself and snatching his hand, leading him deeper still into the festivities. That wasn’t their first kiss of course (that’d been a far clumsier event led by him, with some prompting and advice from Amy of course) but it was certainly the most sudden and casual of their kisses yet. No stutter, no hesitation, just the sudden but brief pressure of her lips upon his. 

It was just for show, he knew it was meant to be for show, they’d done an endless list of things just for show but, for some reason, this one had caught him just a little differently. He should have known what she was doing- the cupping of a hand on a cheek was the signal they’d used for some time now, alerting the other of a potential inbound kiss. He’d stumbled a little after that contact and even now, as he lay here awaiting her, he could still feel her hand pressed against his cheek and the warmth of her lips pushed against his.

His thumb descended to rub the point of contact, stoking the memory even more vividly. Though he’d enjoyed kissing and being kissed by Blaze, even if it was just part of their guise, he’d never felt like this about it. Did it have something to do with the feeling in his gut and how worried he now was? As he allowed his crown to rest on his chest, he couldn’t help but consider that it might.

Jealousy felt like such an ugly word, he couldn’t remember ever speaking it but if it felt this gross in his head then he imagined it’d be twice as bad when vocalised. It seemed so stupid to think, naïve as she’d call it, but it refused to leave his head no matter how he tried to think of other things; he always came back to it and the sickly feeling in his stomach. He felt like he was being haunted by a bizarre and unknown guilt, what was there to even feel jealous of?

Rising to sit up again, lowering the crown into his lap, he took his head in his hands. Why would he be jealous of Blaze spending time at a banquet with a bunch of suitors? Why did he think he was jealous of them? Even if she didn’t think she would, what was wrong with Blaze finding love there? Why would he have a problem with that; why would he want to stop that? He was making sure she could find someone to date at her own pace, it wasn’t as if they were actually dating. 

Though they were obscured by his hand, Silver’s eyes shot open. A new thought had entered his mind, a thought that painted his cheeks pink and almost brought him to choke on his own tongue. Marine had joked about it so often, Amy seemed to think it was more likely than not; he’d always dismissed them of not understanding, of not knowing how they actually felt. Was it possible? Did he actually love-

The sound of keys clattering within a lock fully roused him from his thoughts, as Silver threw his gaze to the window he found that the vibrant colours the sky had given way to a dark blue backdrop painted for a rising full moon. He’d entirely lost track of the time, trapped debating himself on jealousy and considering the past day’s events. It had to be after seven, but he had no idea by what measure!

As he was panicking, the door burst open with all the grace of a landslide. Blaze slowly rounded into the room… at least, he was fairly certain the figure was Blaze. He could tell by Blaze shoes and the hem of her coat, but the feline’s entire upper torso was obscured by a ludicrous pile of flower crowns, towering to the point of overflowing in all directions. Acting quickly, knowing what to do, Silver raised his right hand and a pulse of psychic energy shot through the dark room. Glowing with a cyan light, several bouquets worth of flowers lifted from the pyrokinetic’s arms and shifted to hover beside her- thus fully revealing the feline.

To say she wasn’t in her best shape was perhaps an understatement, Blaze looked rough. He’d initially been distracted by the sheer volume of flowers she’d been gifted, seeing it a representation of how man suitors had been vying for her attention, but the sight of her pushed all thoughts of that away. She looked so tired, more tired than he could recall ever seeing her; there were bags under her eyes, her shoulders had slumped, and he’d caught her mid-yawn as he eased the many florets away. Despite her appearance though, despite the pollen that stained her jacket and the marked her gloves, the crown he’d given her was pristine and still centred on her head.

“Thank you, Silver, but You can just drop them on the floor. Hopefully they won’t make too much of a mess,” She recommended, struggling through another yawn as she slowly paced towards him.

He used his power to gingerly lay them down, placing them near the balcony window, only to turn and find the relative gentleness with which she was treating his crown. She’d plucked it from her head and, delicately, cleared it a place to sit on her desk. Attempting to match her, he waved his hand again and gently sent his white crown to sit next to hers. By the time that action was completed though, Blaze was upon him. As he sat, cross legged at the foot of her bed, she stared down at him as if he’d forced her to her wit’s end, directly contradicting her prior, albeit tired, pleasantness.

“Um, Blaze?” Just as he’d started to question her, the feline had turned away. 

In a single, fluid motion, she unzipped her jacket and shrugged it off her shoulders, “Lie down.”

Befuddled, he stuttered, “Wh-What?”

Her hands found his shoulder in the blink of an eye she gently, but with considerable intent, pushed him onto his back. Somewhat shocked, he looked up at her only to find she’d shifted onto the bed and was now even more blatantly looming over him. A light white tank top remained on her upper body and she hadn’t taken off her golden necklace. The pale article found friction with his fur as she lowered herself half onto him and half across her bed. Immediately, he felt the weight of her head atop the fluffiest patch of his chest and her left arm had snuck its way around his right shoulder.

No explanation was given beyond a mumbled claim of, “I’m tired and I missed you.”

For a moment, perhaps even as long as a minute, he just lay there in a stunned silence and stared at her sleepy form. Even despite her show of force, Silver couldn’t help but feel his heart melt. This was a position that they’d only ever shared with each other, her resting her head atop the closest spot to his heart while he got to look upon her lilac frame. Even in her pouty, tired, state, there was something almost ethereal about the pyrokinetic. Silver supposed that she was literally otherworldly relative to him but there really was something entirely stupefying about her. He felt so fortunate to be lying here… but that underlying feeling reminded him of what he’d been thinking about prior to her arrival.

Did he love her? Of course he did, but did he love her in that way? Not just as someone he simply cared about, not just as his best friend, but in the romantic way; in the way that Amy would prattle on and on about loving Sonic. He’d never been in love before, at least he didn’t know if he’d ever been in love before. Blaze was certainly the closest thing he had ever had to a romantic partner, not just for their current stint literally pretending to date but because of moments like this very one. As far as he had been told, these intimate moments of lounging on one another weren’t especially common among those who were just friends… at least, again, according to Miss Rose and Marine. Usually, contact like this was apparently reserved for those in more intimate relationships, the likes of which they were pretending to be but presently had no one to pretend to.

It wasn’t as though their fake dating hadn’t drifted to have an affect on their quieter, more personal, moments but only so far as Blaze being embarrassed and pensive about the shift between modes. It’d never been him overthinking things, he wasn’t the kind of person to overthink these things. He was helping her, that was all there was to this; that was supposed to be all there was to this.

He watched as she sank deeper against him, her arm went limp and a sigh escaped her throat as she came to relax almost fully against his chest. Every movement, no matter how small, completely held his stare; from the slow close of her eyes and the easing of her shoulders to the smaller things like flickering of her ear to the wrinkling of her nose, nothing could avoid his gaze. Or, perhaps, it was more accurate to say, those things fully captured his attention and contributed to the control she held over him.

If anyone else had asked him to pretend as he had, be it Sonic or Amy or anyone between, would he have said yes? Did that mean anything; did that mean nothing? Where was the line between affection and romance; he’d never learned it, he’d never seen it, he’d never even really thought about it. He just did what came naturally to him, to them. He did what was right and what made sense and whatever would make her happiest.

How would he have felt if she had come back having met someone, if she’d planned to end their little scheme and elope with someone he didn’t even know? He’d have probably nodded and gone along with it, but he’d have surely worried about moments like this; he’d probably be worrying and pondering what he might lose with this shift while trying his hardest to be supportive. Would he understand his feelings better if he had lost her? Was that the only way to understand them?

Silver supposed he didn’t actually know how things had gone; she’d abandoned her flowers to the floor but there was a chance that she’d found someone, he could read her face but he couldn’t read her mind. She looked tired, so very tired, but beyond that and the slightest wrinkle of grumpiness, little to nothing could be gleaned. 

“So, did everything-

Before he could finish, before he could even really start, she’d pushed her hand over his muzzle. Blaze didn’t speak a single work but, to be honest, she didn’t really need to; a flash of frustration creased her brow and sparked in her eye, letting him know that his sound wasn’t appreciated. She was tired, she just wanted to be comfortable, she didn’t want to talk about what she’d endured tonight but the burden of it on her psyche was plain. After a few moments of that stare, her expression softened to one of very slight remorse. As if attempting to compliment that expression, he felt her fingers squidge and ply at his cheeks for a moment before slipping down to hold his shoulder. Gradually, once she was sure he wasn’t going to keep talking, her eyes reclosed and a sigh of contentment puffed through her nose.

So she was unwilling to talk and he was thoroughly trapped. It was almost as if they’d taken on the role of their animalistic counterparts; he was a hedgehog, stuck beneath the paw of a cat playing with their meal. On a whim, perhaps only because she found the fur of his underbelly soft, she’d opted to spare him for a while in exchange for a comfortable place to put her head. He couldn’t fight her, he stood no chance, the feline was too strong; Blaze’s sway over him was simply too great.

So what could he do? She didn’t want him to speak, she likely didn’t want him to shift too much, but he still had one arm entirely free. While the other was trapped beneath her petite form, this one could do practically whatever it wanted. But what was there to do?

He allowed his eyes to drift across her form, they hitched on the rarely exposed sight of her shoulders. Blaze had kept herself fairly well covered up but over the course of their partnership but recently, usually in an attempt to fit in with their dating persona, that commonality had become far less common. He’d seen her wear shorts, he’d seen her in dungarees and tank-tops of so many sorts; even dresses and swimsuits on rare outings. Silver associated the sight of them with one very particular outing though, their first fake date. When he’d seen her, waiting for him outside Marine’s hut, he couldn’t help but beam and rush to her side. That amber sundress, he’d said she looked pretty in it without hesitation… could he bring himself to say the same now, even if he thought it?

Realising that he was staring and finding himself unwilling to dwell on that question, Silver tried to turn his attention elsewhere. He could hold her shoulder or awkwardly rub it from this lounging position, but that’d likely only earn him a confused look. His eyes fell upon her face again; she wasn’t sleeping, not yet at least, but she looked so serene atop his chest. Life as a pillow wasn’t a life he’d expected to live but it seemed to have its perks- this view was better than any sky he could dream of, just seeing her safe and comfortable in his arms should have been more than he could ever ask for; why did he feel like there was something more he wanted?

It was with that thought that Silver noticed something he could do; strands from her ponytail had drifted down to lie just above her brow and obscure the gem on her forehead. They’d slept in the same room rather often and, in all that time, he’d only rarely seen her sleep with her ponytail in. Even then, it only ever seemed to be by mistake- as if she’d been to tired and failed to remember. He brought his hand to the side of her head but didn’t dare touch her yet. Moving as gently and slowly as he could, he let his digits graze through the taught fur on the top of her head before his fingertips hitched upon the soft binding that held her ponytail in place.

Silver let his eye flicker to her face only to watch and feel as she nodded against his contact, silently urging him on with that and no more than the softening of her brow. Slowly and gently, he allowed his fingertips to half-slip beneath the band before dragging upwards and free her plume of hair. There was something magical about the transformation she underwent whenever her hair went from up to down or vice versa, something that admitting had earned him ten death’s worth of stared daggers many moons ago. Whenever Blaze’s hair came down, it became a lot harder for him to see her as the mighty warrior he knew her to be. When he was younger, he hadn’t been able to find the words for it, he hadn’t been able to properly describe why she looked so much more harmless, but in this second he absolutely knew. As her hair fully slipped free from its bobble, her hair fell messily to the side. Softly, he dared to return his hand to the top of her head and brushed it into place; the long, darkly tipped, strands came to lie just above her shoulders and frame her white muzzle so perfectly. 

It was cute, that was the word- whenever Blaze let her hair down, regardless of her intent, she ended up looking so very cute.

A fresh flush of heat spread across his muzzle as he found himself rather unwilling to move his hand from atop her head. Her ears had buckled in response to his contact in an attempt to both move out of the way and show her acceptance. As a pair, it wasn’t uncommon for them to get physical with each other but it was tiny displays like that which fed some of Silver’s braver actions. His thumb slowly shifted from its place on her head and dared to slip behind her ear. Gingerly, he let the back of his digit caress up and down that velvety triangle, almost feeling forced as there was so little he could do from this position yet so much on his mind. That unclear expression came at a cost however, a cost that he most certainly should have anticipated. 

During his second upstroke, just as his mind had started to drift back to the night’s events and his worry, a sound tore his thoughts to shreds. It started with a stutter, almost comparable to a hum or a coo, but that quickly gave way to a roar best compared to the crackling of flame. A low, rumbling, sound that he could pick out more than just about any other grew to fill the room even as his contact stalled.

Blaze was purring like a roaring hearth; it was only as he noticed the heat that she was emanating had lowered that he managed to catch himself and resume the gentle action. As he stoked upward the sound would soften but the lower, the more he shifted the louder she grew and the warmer their surroundings became. The sweat on his brow became so undeniable over the next minute that, were it not for his experience in this position, the stuffiness would have surely smothered him into a sleeping state. This sound had been such a rarity in crisis city, a noise that that had only come to his aid in comfortable moments like this. Nowadays, though this song would often fill the air, the sound still held a particular controlling sway over Silver. Whenever she released that rumbling melody he’d feel his heart slow from whatever beat it’d decided to play to better accompany that sound. Whether it was after they fled a battle, having been faced with impossible odds, or simply having slipped free as she slept, it didn’t matter. That sound, her sound, brought him back to the here and now from wherever he’d been before.

He allowed a second finger to join the contact and felt himself grin as it prompted other, equally noticeable, shifts. Her tail was twisting and writhing up and down his left thigh and she seemed to shift to even more heavily lean against him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, couldn’t help but drink in every ruffle in her fur, every movement of her frame and every sound from her form- it was as though she’d hypnotised him to stare eternally. Something about watching her burry her head into his chest, continued to stoke the flames behind his cheeks. Blaze was powerful, she was brave and she could be so very serious but it was undeniable, the feline was cute- no, she was very cute. Cute in a way he’d never use to describe anything else.

His prior thoughts dared to disturb the peace, drifting into his mind as he heard a contented sigh slip from her. Jealousy wasn’t an emotion he had any real experience with, and the hedgehog was certain that he wasn’t enjoying it. It was like a creeping paranoia that he couldn’t place, like the leaking of a dam allowing what was once hidden to occasionally sputter free. Would someone else take his position someday? Would they be able to do as they had without the excuse of some guise or ruse?

He didn’t want anyone else to see her in the same light he did or share in these moments, but Silver also knew they weren’t his to keep. They were doing this for her, he was helping her now just as he knew she’d help him if he asked her for protection. This was sensible, this was the right thing to do.

But, if he stayed like this for too long, he was certain these thoughts wouldn’t leave him, he’d be stuck with them, but what choice did he have? This was Blaze, his best friend, his partner; there was nowhere he’d rather be than by her side, he didn’t belong anywhere else. He’d promised to support her, he’d promised to help her, and that was what he’d do, that was what he was meant to do. He was her partner first and foremost, her comfort and happiness was meant to lead to his- it’d always led to his, only in this delusional, imagined, world did it not.

There was something strange and worrying about the position he’d accepted, something he hadn’t realised on the day. He was just waiting for someone else, that’s what his role was. This was a job as a placeholder, he was literally just filling space until the time came, but he’d been so happy to do that when it’d all first started. Helping her was enough, of course it was enough, if she found someone and was happy then of course he’d support them, Blaze being happy and safe came above all else for him. 

It was strange though, how these unseen feelings had blossomed. They really were like a plant, little things that’d once gone unnoticed had nurtured its growth until his longing for her affection had become vital to his life. Now it seemed this flower she’d unintentionally grown was scared of being obfuscated by the shade of another. Well, perhaps comparing his feelings to a flower was to give them too much credit, he was clearly very green with envy. He’d never felt this exact feeling before, let alone for someone who probably didn’t even exist.

Despite all his thoughts, or perhaps because of them, Silver’s stare hadn’t left her form and, though his fingers had slowed, he hadn’t stopped tickling her ear. Gradually, gently, he shifted his palm to rest more comfortably atop her head, letting his remaining digits curl and caress through the back of her hair. Blaze was a paradox, both hard and soft in so many contrasting ways. While her fur was softer and silkier than any he’d felt, he knew just how hard and strong the muscles beneath it were- she could, if she so chose, pick him off the ground and carry him for miles or punch and kick her way through an armada of robots even without her flames. He’d felt the tenseness of her body so many times, both as they held each other and as one would care for the other- even during the tending of wounds or post training workouts, that toughness always remained beneath her skin.

That contrast carried over to her to her personality too, though Blaze tried her hardest to quell many of her emotions and obscure those that drifted to the surface, Silver knew how caring she was behind that façade. He’d experienced it first-hand; she’d bandaged his wounds and treated him with such tenderness whenever he was injured, but he’d also seen how much gentler she was around Cream and how she mothered over Marine in a harsh but deeply affectionate manner. She often acted as though she was made of iron but, under her own heat, that form became soft and pliable. Though he knew she’d scold him if she knew he was doing it, Silver loved to count those contradictions. 

His movements had stopped as those thoughts overtook him and, nonverbally displaying her disdain, Silver felt her head push deeper into his palm. Awkwardly, he resumed the gentle show of affection by softly brushing the hair from her face before returning his hand to its prior position, that much seemed to placate her at least. As his gentle rubbing resumed, she unleashed another bout of rumbling purrs. Above that roar though, Silver watched as the feline stretched shifted and stretched out her legs. There were resounding clicks from somewhere down her body as some manner of tension was shed. With it gone, she slumped even more comfortably against him, but an idea had slipped into his head.

“If you want to change position, I could give you a proper massage,” It wasn’t an entirely out of the blue offer, their care often extended that far but only really after their more intense training bouts. 

She hummed a negative, shaking her head ever so slightly.

“W-Well, um,” He stuttered as he continued to break the silence, “Do you need anything? Water or-

He was shushed once again, her hand pressed over his lips so very casually and forced him to be silent. 

“Just you,” She insisted, “I missed you…”

Silver’s blush blossomed further still at that contact, he used to be so unphased by that contact. If anything, it’d embarrassed her- his understanding of personal space still wasn’t perfect, but she seemed to be breaking all the rules. 

“You were down there for a long time,” He quickly followed up, unwilling to let silence become the norm again, “I thought that, maybe, something had happened.”

“I wouldn’t have got away for another hour or so if I hadn’t made my position clear,” The guardian half-huffed.

“Your position?” Silver muttered back, trying to keep his voice down.

“We finished with business early in the evening, they wanted to lounge around and make idle chitchat. I thanked them all but simply said that I’d like to get back to my boyfriend, I reminded them all that it’s the night of the festival and I’d like to be with him,” Blaze so very nonchalantly said, still not even opening her eyes “If any of them take issue with that, then they shouldn’t have come in the first place. It’s not as if this rouse of ours has been a secret, they all must have known, they were simply acting as fools in the hopes of changing my mind...”

Perhaps because she was so tired, perhaps because she had used it for most of the past four or so hours, Blaze was still slipping in and out of how she talked when she acting as princess rather than his partner. Clearly, undeniably, the day’s events and dealing with those suitors had entirely drained her. Immediately, he felt a little bad for going to the fair with her rather than simply relaxing in the castle.

“You really did that?” He practically blurted.

“Of course I did, we’re pretending to date for that very protection,” The surprise in his voice must have carried through, her brow hardened as amber eyes flickered open and began to whittle their way towards his heart, “Why, does that make you uncomfortable?”

“N-No, not at all, I was just…” He frantically searched for the right word, “Curious?”

“Curious…?” She hummed, seeming to dwell on the word. Just as she had been about to fall asleep, he felt her shift and rise but she didn’t go far. Her arms straightened, her palms were pressed against his shoulders just as they had been when she first pushed him down, “You’re being strange tonight, Silver. What’s wrong?”

Now higher, her frame was cast in the cool glow of the moonlight. A strand of her freed hair had slipped into her vision, breaking her serious gaze, “S-Strange how? I don’t know what you mean?”

“You feel… tenser than usual, less soft,” She was scanning him with her eyes, cutting through the flimsy barriers he’d propped up in front of his nervousness, “Something’s on your mind…”

He knew it was only a matter of time before she figured it out but, even if it wasn’t, lying to her as those amber eyes bore down on him was entirely impossible. In lieu of such a ruse, he admitted how he felt about those present thoughts, eyes flickering away from hers, “I-It’s nothing, I’m just being silly. Naïve, l-like you say.”

Without giving an inch, half brought on by her tiredness and half her natural bluntness, Blaze didn’t break her stare as she commented, “You’re really not a good liar, Silver.”

Despite how harsh her stare was and how intently she was trying to probe him, Silver couldn’t help feeling his face grow redder still. There was something about the moonlight cascading across her body, he couldn’t quite describe it. The way it shined through her fur, giving what was purple a gentle shimmer that culminated in a shining reflection upon her forehead jewel. With the clouds blocking out the sun and moon alike, there’d been no opportunity to see her like this in crisis city… then again, the environment wasn’t all that had changed. 

Blaze hadn’t always been mature but, for most of the time he’d known her, her face and form were now starting to fit that aspect of her personality far better. Even though she was shorter than him, even though her frame looked so light, the strength of will and thought behind each and every one of her actions was plain. He’d never have said Blaze wasn’t pretty, in fact he’d said that a lot without really thinking about it, but something had changed recently, but not too recently. Perhaps he’d just taken notice finally, realised what was right in front of him, but a lot of time had passed. He could only imagine she’d grown more beautiful, perhaps it was a combination of factors.

“Lying and staring…” Blaze mused, snapping him out of his stupor as she leaned down. By the time she continued, her head was practically against his, “What a dangerous combination.”

“I-I, uhm…” Trapped in his new position, he struggled to grasp for words just as he did air. Knowing she’d see straight through his obfuscation, he opted to at least tell part of the truth, even if it wasn’t what he was currently thinking, “Just, you seem tired and uncomfortable and I want to make sure you’re okay,” As he said it, he understood how much he felt it. While he was feeling that bizarre concoction of envy and admiration, he was still so very concerned for his partner, “You were just down there a long time and I know you weren’t looking forward to it. Was everything okay?”

“It was just boring, just what I expected. Lots of people talking without meaning anything, the flaunting of ancient ideas as if they’re new, foolish people vying for my attention…” She trailed off, squinting at him even harder, “Is that it? Is that what’s worrying you? That they’re still around, still trying?”

“Y-Yes,” He gulped, sweat sizzling on his brow.

“You’re so naïve,” She shook her head, “We came up with our ruse specifically so I wouldn’t have to be with any of them. I have to see some of them every so often, but they can’t truly move; they can’t properly act against me. I’ll be fine,” She sighed, seeming to notice she’d misspoken, shaking her head as she rose just a little, “I am fine.”

His intent hadn’t carried across, but he’d unearthed something far more important. She was still uncomfortable, perhaps she wasn’t even so tired as much as she had been uncomfortable. She’d come to lie with him to forget, to get away from it all, and lose herself in both his fluff and comfort as well as their lie. Should he have been thinking so hard about those two little misplaced words? Probably not, almost certainly not, but they completely captured his attention. Though he was still pinned in place, he raised his head from the mattress and tried to read into her expression. She hadn’t quite turned away but the inquisitiveness had left her gaze and been replaced with an internal contemplation of sorts.

“You came back with a lot of flowers, so I just thought maybe…” His grimace manifested, he couldn’t hold it back, “Was it bad?”

“It was…” She finally admitted, “Yes. Them not caring about this guise, despite how blatant we’ve been, did get to me. Even if we were together, I feel as though it’d make no difference. We’ve held each other, we’ve kissed, we’ve been so very public, but they’d still tried to throw their lot in. I doubt they can hold it against me that I’m not returning their advances but…” Her gaze tumbled to his chest fur as she took a moment, thinking, “Even if I’d rather just lie here, forget it all and fall asleep, I think I know what I should do to make this right, for both of us.”

Her eyes drifted up to meet his, glowing with a seriousness that’d burned away all trace of tiredness from her face. Panic gripped Silver by the heart, he had no idea of the cunning feline’s intent. His first thought had been that she was about to break things off, end their deception, but that was quickly replaced by something inside him practically screaming that she was about to flip the switch and make it real. Take what was fake and make it proper, have their guise more permanently affix. He had no idea if he was ready for that, he wasn’t even certain that he wanted it, but the feeling of her weight and warmth leaving his body scattered those thoughts in all directions. 

She’d risen from his form and turned but seemed to catch that he wasn’t following out of the corner of her eye. Without so much as blinking, the feline turned back around and reached back halfway between them. It took no more than her glance to compel him to follow, his hand found hers and he was effortlessly pulled to his feet. She quickly let go once that was done, leaving his palm to cool, but her attention hadn’t wavered from him yet. Almost not looking, she shifted her hand from his only for it to find something on the desk beside them and slip it behind her back.

“Close your eyes,” She commanded, taking only a half-step to close the distance between them. 

Though he was quite certain he knew what was happening, Silver did as was requested. He felt a gentle weight land atop his head, being slightly shifted once it’d arrived, before one of her hands traced down to cup his cheek. Just as synapses started to snap, just as he began to remember this position and what that touch meant, Silver felt something warm and gentle press against his lips. It was so very brief, but it set his cheeks alight, like the striking of a match igniting a hearth. His eyes flickered open just in time to watch her descend from her tiptoes. Now devoid of her heels, she was even shorter than him but no less frightening.

“B-Blaze?” He couldn’t look her in the eye so he threw his gaze across the room, as if searching for someone, “No one else is around.”

“I just wanted some more practice, I suppose we’ll have to get even more blatant,” She turned from him, bending over as she began to collect the various crowns that he’d strewn upon the floor. A stare was thrown back at him as she rose, clearly catching his agape mouth in the moonlight, “Unless that’s a problem for you?” 

“I-It’s not, I…” Seeing how nonchalant she was being and trying his hardest to match it, Silver’s gaze broke from her again and drifted to the crown he’d gifted Blaze, “I was just a little surprised.”

He stepped away from the edge of the bed, taking the wreathe in his hands. She seemed to notice his movement and, hands more than overfull, stopped to let him return her gesture. He moved close, reaching up to crown her. It was only as the circlet hung above her head that he saw that his hands were shaking. As a result, the whole endeavour took quite a lot longer than it probably should, even if that was a minute rather than a handful of seconds. Eventually, he managed to get the mass of purple flowers around her ears, but his hands lingered upon them for a moment longer. For half of that minute, the half where he was fiddling with her ears, he tried his hardest not to debate what he would do once her crown was in place. Despite his best efforts, he had internally debated but half a minute was hardly long enough to make that decision.

Though he immediately regretted it, Silver’s hands left her head without drifting down to touch her cheek. The unphased look on the feline’s face told him that he hadn’t made a mistake but the forlorn essence that overtook his being implied that he most certainly had. Other opportunities would surely arrive but that wasn’t the point; he wasn’t supposed to regret missing a kiss, let alone a private one like this. The only reason to regret such a foolish thing was missing an opportunity to further their ruse and further free Blaze from her position. If he wanted to practice then he knew he should just have said or moved to but, for whatever reason, he found himself rather petrified. Perhaps it was knowing he’d enjoy it and equally knowing it’d one day end.

Blaze derailed his train of thought before it could arrive at another ludicrous station, “It shouldn’t be long until Gardon starts to force them out, assumedly a few will slip out the back or try to hang around in the garden for longer,” She hypothesised, nodding for him to open the balcony door, “Let’s give them something to find.” 

With a wave of his hands, Silver sent a smattering of psychic energy to turn the doors’ handles before pushing to swing them open. The spring night air sent a shiver down his spines as he followed Blaze’s stride, his feet were soon forced to bear the cold stone of the balcony. At least the wind was light and the sky was undeniably beautiful. The night wasn’t quite cloudless, but the moon was fully exposed and twinkling stars traced an endless and incomprehensible pattern through the dark. 

It was only as they stood there, bright lights above and the darkness of the royal gardens beneath them, that Silver realised what she had implied, “You’re getting rid of them, all those flower crows?”

“No, we’re getting rid of them,” She turned towards him, tipping her arms and forcing a good half of them into his hands, “I’ve only got one head and only one of these is from someone who actually matters to me.”

He looked down at the circlets in his arms, a stupid question was consuming his mind. It felt like the answer was obvious, but his cheeks were burning all the energy that should’ve been going to his brain, “I-It’s mine, right?”

“You’re so naïve,” She almost chuckled, teeth gleaming as she beamed into the night and threw the first wreathe, “I’m wearing it, aren’t I?”

“I-I just wanted to be sure,” He quickly stammered, drawing a small red crown from his pile and tossing it over the edge.

No sound came as they met with the ground, no crash or rustle, they simply seemed to drift into oblivion and vanish entirely. If only it was so easy to remove the problem they represented. Regardless though, he couldn’t deny it, there was something almost cathartic about this; he couldn’t even begin to imagine how it felt for Blaze. The entrance to the garden was directly beneath them, they were blocking the path. Either someone would try to sneak out the back tonight and discover them all or, tomorrow morning, Gardon or one of the guards would spot this transgression. Either way, it was likely that the princess’ dumping of their gifts so soon after the event would travel far. What that meant for her he had no idea, but she seemed to be doing it with absolute confidence.

“This one was especially rude,” She mused, drawing a crown formed from twelve sunflower heads, “He seemed to think I should spend the whole evening with him, he interrupted almost every speech,” She tossed it into the dark without hesitation, followed in quick succession by three others.

“Were they all that awful?” He couldn’t help but ask, letting a few more crowns tumble to the ground.

“Not all of them, most of them have manners and know to hold their tongue, but I can see it in their eyes,” Daffodils, roses and lilies dropped from her grasp and vanished into the dark without so much as a word, “Some of them are genuinely good but half of them are just waiting for some kind of opportunity, trying to find the right moment to weasel their way into my good graces.”

Silver felt his teeth grind as his brow grew heavy, his blood wasn’t far from boiling. He dropped three more headdresses into the abyss, “I… don’t get it. They know you’re not interested, right? Why don’t they stop?”

“Because of what there is to gain, if there’s even a one in a million chance then they’re more than willing to try,” She explained, “They’re interested in moving up in the world, regardless of how high they already are. They want status, nothing more, it’s like I said when I first came up with our plan. The royal name is seen as a trophy to be won. They certainly fear my flames, but their greed is more powerful.”

Without so much as hesitating, though his full arms limited his capacity to comfort her, Silver shuffled right and leant into her, attempting to lock eyes, “You aren’t just your title though. You’re my best friend, you’re wonderful Blaze.”

She threw him a glance but, rather quickly, turned away and back to the task, dumping a good six creations into the dark, “I-I know that I’m not just my title, Silver, but it’s all they see me as. I’m just stating what’s obvious to me.”

“Well they shouldn’t and, after tonight, I’m even happier that you came up with our plan,” Matching her action, Silver began to more rapidly drop the floral creations, “You are free to love whoever you want; no one gets to decide who you love but you.”

“Well,” Their gazes collided again but this time she held strong, “Whoever I love has a say in it as well, Silver.”

Was she implying something? He had no idea.

“R-Right,” He stammered, quickly scrambling for some kind of answer, “But they’d be stupid to say no.”

Her only response to that was to smile ever so slightly before quickly turning not so much to the darkness beneath but the sparkling sky that spanned out before them.

She could have just been stating a fact, she could have just been being blunt and honest as she so often was, but something about her choice of words was resonating with him. It was entirely possible that Blaze had found love months ago, perhaps even before they started this whole fake dating scheme. Could it be that her feelings either weren’t or didn’t appear to be reciprocated?

“Have you met someone else yet?” He steeled his courage and dared to ask, “N-Not necessarily tonight, just in general.”

“Someone else?” Blaze repeated, “No, no one. Why?” 

“O-Oh, no reason,” He mumbled, still unable to even look at her, “I was just… curious.”

“Curious…” She hummed, parroting him again.

A silence crept between them; his eyes lingered where scattered flowers that’d long faded into the darkness had once been. Throwing his hands up in one final toss, his remaining wreathes took to the air before quickly plunging into the depths. He stole another glance in her direction just in time to watch the final crown fall from her hands, now only the ones they’d gifted each other were left. 

Just as when the moonlight had caught her before, Silver couldn’t help but think she looked especially beautiful basked in its cool light. While the sun illuminated her better, let him see her finer details, the way the moonlight seemed to gleam in her eyes and made the white of her muzzle glow. She’d looked otherworldly before but, in this light and from this view, it was unreal, he was entirely in awe. 

“It’s very pretty out here tonight, it’s a shame I had to spend so long indoors,” She thought aloud.

“Y-Yeah, very pretty,” He quickly pulled his eyes from her, casting his gaze to the sky. 

It was a wonderful night and it was a shame they hadn’t spent more of it together. They could have gone a walk through the post festival town, looked in on those closing up and lived among the floral arrangements that had been made throughout today. Even just by tomorrow, they’d have lost a lot of their lustre.

Still, standing by her side and watching the stars was more than he could ever have even hoped for in his past life.

After a few more minutes of stargazing, without warning, Silver felt her weight press heavier against his shoulder. The surprise forced him to turn to her, just in time to feel a pair of powerful arms wrap around him. She’d slumped against him; tiredness had returned to her bones and magnetised her frame to his. Her eyes had come to close, her purr had begun to rumble again and warmth was spilling from her body. 

“You know, I did pin you down because I’m actually tired,” She half muttered as his arm found her back, “I sleep better with my favourite pillow.”

Gently, summoning a small amount of psychic power to aid in the endeavour, Silver began to kite the feline back towards her bed, “I’m your favourite pillow?”

“You’re noisier than the others but, ultimately, that’s a small price to pay for divine comfort,” She informed him, taking on a tired yet princess like tone again, “You fill your roles very well, Silver.”

The use of a plural there hadn’t gone unnoticed, Silver felt a knot in his stomach tighten and his blush renew. Even still, he managed to lead the meandering waltz to the side of her bed rather than the foot of it before looking to her. Judging both by what she’d said and the weight she was putting upon him, Blaze didn’t want him to leave tonight- she wanted her pillow.

He slowly lowered himself, half kicking the covers out of the way, and she followed, hardly leaving his frame for a second. The position they arrived at was one all too familiar to him- her right cheek on his chest fur while her hands lingered upon his shoulders, the covers pulled over her back and reaching up to the centre of his chest. As she’d grown comfortable her tail had come to wind around his leg and those same purrs refilled the air. A thank you had been murmured at some point but, truth be told, Silver had been too lost in his thoughts to really notice that or recall when it happened. Her warmth engulfed him as her purrs died down, those of conscious comfort ebbed away until only her sleeping murmurs remained. 

His eyes managed to close but thoughts plagued his near sleeping mind. She’d said he fit both roles so well, was that an offer? He doubted it, surely that was wishful thinking. Tomorrow was going to be stranger than other mornings they’d woken up together, he could tell that already. She’d probably want to formulate some kind of plan, perhaps there’d be more of that impromptu kissing practice she’d sprung on him or some other action she’d ask if they could take.

He’d say yes regardless of the plan, he struggled to say no to her to be honest. Even as kids, whenever he wanted to run off and fight Iblis she’d fuss and stop him much too easily. Now it was even harder to say no to her and he could only presume it had something to do with the aching she’d occasionally conjure in his chest. He wondered; did she even know home much control she had over him? Would she ever even consider- 

“What if there never was someone else…?” Those words cut through the night like a thrown dagger and roused him just as effectively.

His eyes snapped open, but her unconscious form was entirely unchanged. He fully whispered, scared that those words had been the result of some immanent dream, “W-What?”

Her eyes remained closed and her body was unmoving, Blaze seemed to be entirely asleep. A moment passed and then a minute, then a handful more but still no sound came from her save for scant purrs that littered the air. Even though the curtains were closed, she was ever so slightly lit by the symbols on his hands. She looked to be at peace, it really seemed as though she was sleeping- had he really dreamed it? Usually his dreams were long and vivid and irrational, never so close to what was on his mind.

He felt her shift ever so slightly and thought it was a sign, only to soon realise he was waiting for nothing. No further movements came beyond her gentle breathing, He might have lain there for hours, waiting for some movement or change that’d show she’d been awake, but it never came. Only one thing came to him, the answer to the question he’d supposedly dreamed. 

Awkwardly, Silver turned away from his partner and felt his embarrassment only grow. Those words weighed so heavily in his mind, too heavily for him to really bear. If he knew that she was asleep, if he was really certain he’d dreamed it, then speaking his mind shouldn’t be a problem. Equally, there was no real reason to say anything at all. Well, besides the fact he might never actually work up the nerve to while she was awake…

That thought stuck in his heart like a javelin. Not a moment after it pierced him, his lips began to move.

“I think I’d like that, I-I think I’d like to do this for real,” As he dared to glance at her, that partner who’d died for him and he’d been more than willing to die for, he couldn’t help but feel foolish that he was sharing this secret with her sleeping form rather than the conscious one. Well, seeing as he was being honest about how he felt, “But I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to admit that...” He confessed before continuing to think aloud, “More than what I want, I just want whatever will make you happy. That’s all that matters.”

No response came, of course no response came, but the heat in Silver’s chest and on his face had fully reawakened him. Having now said that out loud, having fought internally with jealousy and hyper contemplation, it all seemed so simple. He did love her, but he was scared of losing her; there was no denying either of those facts. He’d put himself in the best and worst position, receiving her affection almost constantly but knowing it was a shell of what was intended. Of course, moments like this were… different than that though.

Silver let his hand graze up her back to hold near her shoulders, feeling the warmth behind her heart. Even if that kiss had really been for practice, which he kept telling himself it was, things outside of their promise were still genuine. While this trick was undeniably exhilarating, he loved these true moments oh so much. Even if his position as boyfriend was false and temporary, even if thinking about all this had gotten him much too sweaty and left him sleepless, he was happy to be her favourite pillow.


End file.
